Author's Notes: Rated Adult. This takes places between "One Minute to Midnight" and "End of Innocence". I thought Joe needed someone to comfort him.

Comfort

Heidi McKeon

© May 1997

He saw her as soon as she walked in. Liz had been coming to his gigs pretty regularly and he now had started to look for her every time he played. They had spoken a few times, only briefly but it was the familiar comfort of knowing she was in the audience. Maybe he should rethink that. She usually was on the dance floor when he was playing or at he bar when he wasn't. Joe knew she was from out of town and that she traveled a lot, he found out at least that much in their brief conversations at the bar. He rarely got to talk to her beyond pleasantries. He was generally sidetracked by MacLeod or Methos in the middle of a crises before he really got a chance to talk to her.

She smiled and waved when she came in and Joe had gotten into the habit of rolling into a song he know she loved. She had asked him to play it once, and now he played it whenever he knew she was there.

Tonight she sat at the bar watching him play. He seemed to be looser than she'd ever seen him, she mused. He passed by a few times in-between sets, stopping to say hello. He was about to go up for the last time when he stopped in front of her.

"Why don't you let me buy you a drink?"

She was surprised at first but recovered quickly, "I really shouldn't, I have to drive back to the hotel tonight...oh, what the hell, why not. I'm drinking gin and tonics."

He turned to Mike and told him, "gin and tonic for my friend here, and don't let her leave before I'm done."

Mike nodded and began to mix her drink, setting it in front of her with his customery smile.

He turned and headed back to the stage for his last set before she could even say thanks.

She remained at the bar for his last set. The dance floor had become too crowded to be able move around and she had a better view of him from where she sat. When he finished for the night, he was swept in a tidal wave of people and she wasn't able to get close to him.

Liz stood and quickly clutched the bar as she got a head rush. She knew she never should have had that last drink. She'd have to call a cab if she planned to make it back to the hotel any time soon. She walked back to the back of the bar where he stood, almost as if he were waiting for her to come to him.

He smiled as he saw her approach. "Hi, I'm glad you stayed."

She smiled back at him, suddenly embarrassed that she'd been caught in her attraction for this man. "Thanks for asking me to stay."

"Did you have a good time tonight? I've missed seeing you around lately."

"I haven't been in town lately. The one time I came in, your bartender, Mike is it, said you were out of town."

"I'm glad you came, Liz. It's nice to see a familiar face in the crowd."

She blushed, "What about your friends that are always around?"

"Listen, are you hungry? I always get hungry after I play. Would you like to join me?" Joe asked, avoiding her question. He didn't want to think about it just right now.

"That would be nice. That last drink did me in and I was thinking I'd have to leave my rental car here and take a cab back to the hotel. Besides, you didn't answer my question."

"Too long of a story, and I'd rather not ruin the evening thinking about it.. Lets go." He held out his free hand to her and escorted her out the back door, leaving Mike to close up shop. Liz adjusted her pace to match his as they headed around the corner to an all night diner.

They sat and talked as they worked their way though an early breakfast.

What was it about having pancakes and eggs at 3 am?

He noticed her yawn, "Are you OK to drive back to your hotel now? I can drive you back."

"I don't think so-the drinks have filtered though but I'm really too tired to get behind a wheel and drive." She added quietly, stifling a yawn.

He knew this was his make or break moment. He'd been attracted to Liz for months but something with MacLeod or Methos always seemed to get in the way. First the Dark Quickening, and his concern over Richie and then Methos when MacLeod landed in Le Havre'. And just when he thought things had settled down enough that maybe he could ask her out the next time she was in town, he got the call from Jack that Mac had been killed, which set in motion a string of circumstances that left him alone and without the friendship of either of the Immortals he'd called friends. Amanda had called periodically to see how he was but she said it was too hard being in the middle and kept her distance. UnlikeDuncan, she had never blamed him.

Just the thought of the Highlander made his guts twist. He and Mac had been through a lot in the few years of their friendship but would it, could it sustain this and whatDuncan believed was a betrayal? Even Methos had disappeared into the night to decided which direction the course of his life should take.

Then he looked at the woman in front of him. She was tall, 5'10" or 5'11" or so, with light china blue eyes and hair the color or wheat, long enough to get lost among its waves. Did the attraction he felt for her run both ways? He thought it must because she was always there and didn't seem to be interested in any of the other patrons. He was still nervous, it had been along time since Lauren. He was nearly 50 years old and Liz was maybe early 30's, if that. Why would an athletic woman like Liz be attracted to a broken old man like himself? He decided that he would try.

"Liz, would you like to come back to my house, with me?"

She hesitated only briefly before she answered, "Yes," in a quiet voice.

He reached across the table and grasped her hand, "Why don't we go back now before you fall asleep."

She just nodded, it was all she could do. Her nerves tingled from the intimate gesture of him holding her hand. She had been attracted to him for a long time and the very idea of her fantasies becoming reality was almost too much for her to handle They walked quietly back toward his house.

Joe opened the front door and stood aside for her to enter. He closed the door behind them. She was suddenly struck by the sheer magnitude of her decision to return home with him, she was scared and aroused at the same time. He turned on a few lights so she wouldn't stumble and he headed into what she assumed was his bedroom. She could hear him rummaging through his drawers.

Liz used this time to look around the living room. Several books lay on the coffee table; a popular mystery best seller, a new Vampire book by P.N. Elrod, a book on Celtic history and a fewParis newspapers, and a book of poetry. He's definitely got good taste in reading material, she thought. She looked next at the pictures he had on the walls. Several were watercolors and a few personal photographs. One she assumed was him when he was younger with an older man. Other were pictures and men that she recognized as being his friends. She had seen them at the bar in the past.

Joe returned a few minutes later and found her looking at a watercolor of a fishing village.

Liz didn't turn around when she heard him come in, "You could get lost in this picture. It makes me want to step into it and walk down the wharf."

He smiled and held up the t-shirt and boxers for her when she turned, "I promise, they are clean."

"Thank you," she mumbled, as she took the clothes from his hands.

She looked at him with an expression that said what now? Joe had no idea what to do next so he did the first thing that came to mind. He reached out to her and gently pulled her towards his arms. Liz didn't resist and allowed herself to be wrapped in his embrace.

Joe just held her for a long while before either of them moved. Then he leaned back to look at her. She was nearly as tall as he was. He leaned slightly to kiss her gently.

"Will you join me tonight?" he asked quietly.

Liz nodded slightly and reached to kiss him again.

Joe pointed her in the direction of the bathroom and he followed as far as the bedroom.

Liz looked around at the obviously male surroundings and took notice of the special equipment he needed to live comfortably, the extra handles and seats in the shower for his convenience and his safety.

Liz came out and found Joe sitting quietly on the side of the bed. He watched her as she padded across the bare hardwood floors to stand in front of him.

He indicated for her to crawl into bed while he went about getting ready to turn in as well. He headed into the bathroom carrying a robe and a small bundle of clothes. When he returned he sat on the edge of the bed with his back to her. He'd left his chair in place because he didn't want to have her see him in it yet. It had been a long time since he'd removed his legs in the presence of a woman, let alone one he barely knew. Slowly he opened his robe and began to remove the straps releasing his legs from the plastic sleeves of the prosthesis.

He maneuvered himself into place on the bed. Liz laid on the other side of the king-sized bed. He reached across and pulled her closer to him.

"Let me hold you."

"I'd like that," she whispered as he pulled her against his chest. She curled herself around him and threw a leg across his thighs.

He hesitated for a moment at her movement, waiting to see if she would react to his missing legs. She didn't. He released a breath he barely knew he'd been holding.

She ran her hand down his chest and across to his thigh. "It doesn't bother me about your legs, if you are worried about that," Liz whispered against his chest. "I knew about them a long time ago."

He pulled her up on top of him and guided her head down to his, kissing her long and deeply. His hands roamed across her back and over her bottom, pressing her into his erection.

"You are not the only one who wanted this. I've been watching you for months as you dance in the audience or even when you are just sitting at the bar. I've been wanting to know if you were as uninhibited in other things as you are when you dance."

She smiled down at him in the dim light of the room. "Try me," she said with a humorous lilt to her voice.

He rolled them over. He slipped his hands up under the t-shirt Liz wore, discovering at the same time that she had shed the boxers that he had lent her. Joe slowly began to push it upward and kissed where his hands led. Then as he removed it as he kissed her mouth briefly before beginning a trail of kisses down her body. Touching, exploring, searching for the spots that would make her tremble. He found several and had her trembling in his arms as he took her to the brink several times before he let her cross over.

She lay shaking in his arms afterward.

"Dammit!" he exclaimed. "I'm not prepared, I don't carry anything I haven't needed to in a long time." He pulled her close to him, soothing her.

"Wait!"

"What?"

She wiggled away from him and out of bed. Joe watched as she crossed the room. She was as lithe as he'd always imagined she'd be. Liz grabbed the bag she always carried and began to rummage through it. "I just remembered that I still might have these in my bag." Liz held up two brightly colored condom packages, "They were 'party favors' a friend of mine brought once for another friend of ours. I forgot I had them in this bag until I saw them tonight."

She crawled back into bed with him and snuggled close again as she dropped her find on his chest.

He picked them up and chuckled at the blue and green condoms. He seen a lot in his nearly 50 years but the idea of colored condoms made him smile. He had a feeling that Liz would keep him on his toes, and he liked that idea. Ever since Lauren died, he closed himself off and rarely let other women get under his skin. This one, though, Liz, had the potential to do more than get under his skin, she had the potential to come to mean a whole lot to him. Of course there was always the problem of what he did and the people he associated with and would she understand. But right now he didn't need to think about that. He wanted to bask in the warmth that she was bringing him tonight when he was still feeling the loss of his friendships with Duncan and Methos.

He looked at the two packages in his hands and banished all thoughts but those of giving her the most pleasure he could and in turn giving himself a little hope. Putting one aside, he rolled her back over and began to tease her again until she was hot and ready for him. She slipped the condom out of the package and began to slip it on his erection bit by bit, teasing him as she moved it downward. Once it was inplace she guided him into her. They moved together in an ancient rhythm, taking each other to the heavens, and holding on as they drifted back down to earth. They lay together, neither speaking, just touching for a long time. Finally he rolled to one side and pulled her along with him.

"I need to get cleaned up," he said.

"Let me, there's no need for you to fuss with everything."

Liz removed the condom and tied a knot in it. She slipped out of bed, slowly brushing her body across his as she headed to the bathroom. She returned moments later with a warm wash cloth and hand towel.

Joe smiled tried to take the towel from her. Liz batted his hands away and proceeded to run the warm cloth down his chest before wiping him off. She then gently dried him off before returning to the bathroom door and tossing the towel in the general direction of the sink.

She crawled back into bed and Joe cradled her in his arms and they drifted off to sleep.

Hours later, Liz was woken gently by hands caressing her back. She smiled as she remembered where she was and who she was with.

He felt the shift in her and leaned down and whispered, "Good morning, Lizzie."

She rolled in his embrace and reached for him. He lowered his head and claimed her lips, kissing her. She moved from under him and pushed him on his back. He startled for a moment then smiled and laid back. He'd caught the mischievous gleam in her eye that said, "my turn".

She proceeded to touch and kiss and nibble her way around his body, letting her golden hair trail behind her as she nibbled on his nipples and down his abdomen. Her hair fell like a curtain as she took him in her mouth. He reached down and pushed her hair away so he could see her as well as feel her. Winding his fingers through the waves he played with her hair and caressed the top of her head.

When he finally had enough, he pulled her back up his body and kissed her hard. Joe reached over for the last packet on the bedstand and tore it open. Handing it to her, he smiled as she moved down his body again kissing him as she went. Rolling the condom on him, Liz straddled him and gently lowered herself onto him. Joe groaned as she took him in. Reaching for her, he pulled her down so he could kiss her as she began to move. Rolling with her, she brought them to the heights and he held her tight as they fell off together.

Liz lay curled on his chest for a long time as he traced circles and patterns on her back.

When they finally decided to face the day, they showered together and decided that breakfast would be the first order of business. After breakfast was finished and the dishes put away, Liz knew that she had to get back to her hotel and get ready to fly home again.

As Liz headed to the door, Joe wondered what would come of this night. She had given him the first peace he had known in months. Would Liz want to come back? She had the door open and as he came up behind her, he closed it again, pulling her into his arms one last time and kissing her deeply.

"I still want you to come when I play and any other time you want . Just to hear me play or for breakfast."

Liz reached out and petted his beard before kissing him again, "Count on it. I love what you do with eggs."

She opened the door and walked out, letting the door drift shut behind her. Just before the door drifted completely closed, Liz turned and walked back into Joe's arms.

"I thought you had to get back and check out?"

"I do but I wanted another kiss and I also wanted to give you this so you know where to find me when I'm not here." She handed him her card as she once again headed out the door.

Joe turned the card over and read it: Liz Gordon, Mystery writer, Juneau Alaska.

The End

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